China's second largest mobile service operator China Unicom (CHU) is implementing new measures to eliminate illegal short messages (SMS) on its network. These new initiatives include stricter access to service providers and better content management.

Based on the requirements from the Ministry of Information Industry that each service provider must have a "Trans-regional Value-added Service Operation License" before they can run a wireless service, China Unicom has stopped cooperating with 217 wireless value-added service providers (WVAS) who do not hold such a license.

In addition, China Unicom has worked out an information safety responsibility agreement with its partnered service providers and set a special phone number 10109696 for consumers to report illegal short messages when they receive them.

China Unicom says it has also adopted key-word filtering technology to prevent the wanton spreading of unwanted messages or messages containing illegal content.

China Unicom says it has already deleted more than 510,000 mobile phone numbers that had been used to send illegal short messages.